


Death

by Fieryflamess



Series: Julian's Route [9]
Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:15:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25940470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fieryflamess/pseuds/Fieryflamess
Summary: Shocking discoveries are made, and Julian makes a decision.
Relationships: Apprentice/Julian Devorak
Series: Julian's Route [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1877557
Kudos: 2





	Death

### A Sea Change

The rope went taut.

The crowd surged, screaming and cheering and weeping, but all Ryuhiko could hear was a dull roar. The only thing that broke through his shock was the thought of Julian. He needed to get to him. Clarity returned to him in a rush. He fought his way through the crowd, but the press of people was suffocating. He couldn't get close. Someone grabbed his arm.

"I'm so glad I found you!" Portia said. "This crowd is impossible. We need to get out of this mess and back to the palace." She teared up a bit. "That's where... where they'll take him. C'mon, we should be there when he wakes up."

Portia led Ryuhiko away from the square while he shakily brushed tears from his eyes, but as he followed her, a wave of exhaustion washed over him. He stumbled against the wall, his knees giving out. His heart pounded painfully in his chest.

"Ryuhiko!"

Darkness ate over his vision, and Portia's concerned voice faded away. When he came back to himself, he was floating in a starry void. It had to be a dream. He drifted vaguely downwards, buoyed in a peaceful haze. There was something he should be worried about, but right then, everything seemed far away. His feet touched a solid surface. He found himself standing on an island of stardust. He wasn't alone. A familiar presence was behind him.

It was Julian, standing on another island. He was staring off into the distance, looking confused. If the plan worked, then he'd be at the boundary between realms. There, where Ryuhiko was. Ryuhiko called out, and though the void swallowed his voice, Julian turned. He reached out to the magician, across the gulf. Their islands were drifting apart, but maybe, just maybe, Ryuhiko could reach him. But then, wouldn't it be better not to waste time? So he let him go. Julian's field of stardust drifted away from his and faded into the dark. The stars winked out around him, and—

Ryuhiko surfaced with a splash, blinking water from his eyes. Was this...? It was. He was back in the Hanged Man's Realm. He still didn't see anything like a path. There was nothing to do but get up and start walking. It seemed darker and quieter without Julian there. Ryuhiko missed him, his jokes and his stories, his encouragement. If the plan worked, he'd find him there. He was sure of it. He held onto that thought and let it pull him onward.

Behind him, something rustled. He whirled around, his senses on high alert. It was just a vine, slipping off the branch of a gnarled tree. ...Wait. There wasn't a tree there before. Just like the first time he was there, the trees came to life, swaying and groaning as they grasped at him. Branches and roots seized him, cooling around his limbs and lifting him into the air. He kicked and failed, trying to get loose. The more he struggled, the tighter they squeezed.

Finally, Ryuhiko stopped. He couldn't summon the energy fight anymore. When he stopped moving, so did the branches. He closed his eyes and breathed, trying to calm his heart rate. For a long minute, he hung there, absolutely still. Then, with a wooden groan, the branches started moving, carrying him through the forest and into the fog. The trees around him swayed the susurrus of leaves filling his senses. It almost sounded approving. Finally, the branches set him down on dry land, next to a clearing. The fog was as thick and impenetrable as a wall outside th area. But inside the ring of roots and branches, the air was perfectly clear.

A tall, thin lantern cast a pool of light. Within it, Julian knelt, holding his head in his hands. With a wary glance around, Ryuhiko called out, but the fog swallowed his voice. Julian didn't react. Across from the doctor stood a motionless figure.

"I see you're here at last." The Hanged Man said. He turned his head so that one beady eye was visible to Ryuhiko and winked.

"...Urgh..." Julian groaned.

"Your memories should be returning now."

Julian got to his feet, wavering unsteadily. "What... the _hell?_ I— this is— It can't be. It's impossible."

"Not only is it possible, it's the truth."

"All this time I... I thought I'd murdered the Count. I thought I was coming back to face justice. Even when I learned the truth—when I discovered my innocence, I knew that wasn't the whole story."

"You remembered some of what happened that night, but you were still missing a piece. The answer to a vital question. Why? Why were you going to Lucio's room?"

"To kill him. And the only reason I didn't is because I didn't get there in time? But why? Why would I want to...?" Realization rushed over Julian, showing on his expression.

"Ah. There it is."

Julian held his trembling hands in front of his face, staring at them in horror. "He... he was—he was the source of the plague? All those years, all those people dead...? It was because of _him?"_

"Lucio's existence was tied to the existence of the plague. Wherever he went, it followed. When he settled in Vesuvia, so did the plague."

"And killing him would have stopped it. That's what you told me that night three years ago. That's the cure." Julian chuckled dryly. "...Heh. When I said he was a plague on the city, I didn't realize I was literal. But that means if the plague is coming back, so is he. He's— he's coming back? How? How would he do that?"

The Hanged Man shrugged, feathers ruffling languidly. "You have a plan to come back to life, don't you?"

"This...?" He touched his throat, where the mark pulsed faintly. A flash of recognition crossed his expression. "This mark is— It's... from you. I-I made a deal with you. I gave up the memories I didn't want, for the power to heal. You mean, Lucio made a deal to come back? He made a deal with you?"

"I'm not the only one capable of making deals. There are others. But 'who?' is a question you'll have to answer on your own. Now you know everything I can tell you. The rest is up to you."

There was silence for a few long moments before Julian cleared his throat. "So, uh. What now? Are you going to send me back so I can tell everyone the cure?"

"Not quite."

"No? Are you going to judge me first? Decide whether I'm worthy?"

The Hanged Man laughed raucously. "Didn't I just say the rest was up to you? Indecision, introspection, inaction. They can only serve you for so long. You stand between realms, at a crossroads. Only you can decide where to go now."

"Only I can...? Then lay it out for me. What're my options?"

"Your mark has just enough power left to return you to the living realm. Then it will disappear for good. Or you can stay here, in my realm. The cure will reach the people who need to know it." Again, he winked at Ryuhiko. "There is much you could learn from me."

Julian started pacing in the pool of light. "So I have to decide whether to stay or go? That's— heh. That puts me between the devil and the deep blue sea, doesn't it?"

"How so?"

"It's, um, hm. If I go back, and that costs me this mark. Then I— I won't be able to heal people anymore."

"You're a doctor, aren't you?"

"Well, yes, but... But leeches can only do so much. Half the time they don't do anything at all. This mark. It really is better than any medical treatment I know. It didn't matter how fatal the poison or how high the fever. With this, I could cure anyone."

"And without it?"

"I... I don't know. I couldn't even figure out the plague cure on my own. I needed you to tell me." He sighed. "Killing Lucio? Anyone could've done that. Asra. Nadia. Hell, some of his courtiers were just waiting for a good opportunity. Even once I knew the cure, I didn't get there in time. I wasn't the one to stop him. And now...? What good is a plague doctor when there's no more plague? What good am I?"

Ryuhiko's heart ached. He stretched a hand out toward him, desperately wanting to comfort him, but he couldn't push through the thick fog. He couldn't reach him. The Hanged Man glanced sidelong at him and just barely shook his head. His meaning was clear. It was a decision Julian had to make on his own. Ryuhiko dropped his hand and continued to watch.

"So let's say I do this. I go back. I deliver the cure."

"Then what?" The Hanged Man asked.

Julian stopped pacing, staring into the fog. "Then... then I..." He paused, unsure.

"Do you even have a plan for what you'll do afterward?"

"All this time, I thought I was coming back to Vesuvia to pay for my crimes. After? I didn't think 'after' was on the table."

"Here, things remain the same. There, everything is changing. The future is shrouded in uncertainty. So what will you do when you reach that precipice?"

"What'll I do? What I always do. Find trouble. Drag everyone down with me. Run away. Lose sleep over it. Find new trouble. Story of my life." Julian answered saltily. "And I'll... I'll hurt people again. I know I will. Pasha. Mazelinka. I wasn't there for them. And I— I wasn't there for Ryuhiko. If I stay, I'll be abandoning him again. But if I go back, will I do any better? Will I ever be better? Or will I just find another transgression, another crime to hang for? Another way to fail him?"

A creeping dread took root in Ryuhiko's chest. Its icy tendrils wound through his ribs. What was Julian saying?

"Ryuhiko... You're regaining those memories, too, then." The Hanged Man said.

"I... When I met him, I thought he seemed familiar. I had no idea I was right." Julian said.

...What? Ryuhiko dug his nails into his palm, trying to figure it out.

"You weren't strangers after all, were you?" The Hanged Man asked.

"I knew him three years ago. I took him on as an apprentice at my clinic, even. But when he needed me, I wasn't there. I was so wrapped up in finding a cure I didn't even know he was sick."

_What?_

"I didn't know until it was too late that... that he died. Oh, Ryuhiko..."

When...? When he...? Shock numbed Ryuhiko's lips and stole his strength. He stood motionless as he struggled to absorb Julian's words. They knew each other. They knew each other until he— Ryuhiko died of the plague. Even as his conscious mind tried to reject the possibility, he knew. He could feel it in his bones, in his blood, in the headache building at his temples, in the scream locked in his chest, and in the howling silence when he tried to remember his past. It was the truth. Was it? It _had_ to be. There was no other explanation. So why was another part of him screaming that something was wrong?

"...I know what I want to do." Julian said.

"Are you sure? You can take as long as you want." The Hanged Man offered.

"I don't need more time. I've made up my mind."

A sudden pull yanked Ryuhiko away from the clearing, into the fog, and back into the waking world. It took him a moment to regain his bearings. He was in the guestroom at the palace, and Portia was shaking him.

"Ryuhiko, I'm so glad you're awake!" Portia cried. "I-I'm sorry, I wanted to let you rest after you collapsed, but... But...! Ilya's body is, it's gone! Someone took it!"

Ryuhiko kicked off the covers, adrenaline surging in his veins. "What happened?"

"Milady gave orders for a guard to take him to another guest room. But the guard says...! She says someone ambushed her! And when she woke up, he was gone!"

A mixture of bewilderment and fear rooted him to the spot. Who could have done such a thing? Why? Before he could say anything, he was startled by a _whumpf_ as something slammed into the window. He scrambled to the window. As soon as he opened it, Malak came screaming into the room. Squawking frantically, Malak flew in a tight circle around Ryuhiko, then shot out the open door. It couldn't be a coincidence that he was there. Intuition urged the magician after him.

Portia and Ryuhiko followed Malak through the palace halls, toward the library. A cold realization coalesced in the pit of Ryuhiko's stomach. He knew where the raven was heading. When they reached the elevator, the cage was already open. Someone had been there recently.

"Ready when you are, Ryuhiko!" Portia said. "Let's go rescue my brother!"

She didn't have to tell him twice. They squeezed into the elevator together, and Ryuhiko pulled the lever. They sprinted through the eerie hallway and the prep room, and he shoved open the metal doors to the dungeon. As he feared, Valdemar was standing on the stage in the center, scalpel poised over Julian's torso.

"Oh? What's this?" They looked up at the two. "Have you come for the show?"

Ryuhiko didn't waste his breath. He snatched up the nearest object, a jar of mummified leeches, and hurled it at Valdemar. They swayed in place, and the container flew past them and into the wall.

"Now, now, I'm only... Oh. Oh, my." Valdemar said. On the table, Julian's body convulsed. Ryuhiko's heart felt like it was about to leap into his throat. "...Oh, my. How interesting. It seems, Doctor 069, that you have failed to die. Not once, but twice. Let's see if you can do it again."

Valdemar stabbed downward with the scalpel, but Julian lurched out of the way and off the table. As he moved, his legs gave out. Crumpling to the ground, he grabbed Valdemar's arm, dragging them off balance.

"Now, Ryuhiko! Blast them!" Julian called.

Adrenaline surged in Ryuhiko's veins. He grabbed hold of the feeling, twisted it to his will, and poured it into a spell. A bolt of force streaked across the room, directly at Valdemar. At the last moment, Julian let go and dove away. The spell impacted with a _crack_ , and Valdemar took a step back.

"Yeah! Get out of here, you, you snake oil dispenser! Scram!" Portia seized a spindly-legged chair and lifted it with a yell. Screaming and cawing, Malak dove at their face, talons outstretched. Valdemar stumbled back under the onslaught. Together, Portia and Malak chased them out of the dungeon.

"Ryuhiko, it, it is you, right? I'm not— I'm not dead? It worked?" Julian seemed to be in shock. He staggered to his feet, unsteadily swaying as he reached for Ryuhiko.

Ryuhiko rushed to his side to support him, and Julian sagged against him in relief. The words tumbled out of Ryuhiko's mouth. "You, you're alive, you're _alive—_ " Tears brimmed in his eyes and rolled down his cheeks.

"I am? Are you sure, Ryuhiko? Maybe you should check."

"Not here." Ryuhiko looked around, wiping his eyes. "God, not here."

"Ah, er. No, it's not exactly the most hygienic place to celebrate, is it?"

Ryuhiko leaned in to kiss Julian's cheek, brushing his fingers over the sharp line of his jaw. When he pulled back, his breath caught. Julian's smile was soft, full of wonder, and unreservedly happy. He'd never seen him smile like that before.

"I'll be sure to check more thoroughly once we get out of here. In my room, or at the shop..." Ryuhiko said breathlessly.

"Or maybe we can swing by my place. Or all of the above, I'm not picky."

As much as Ryuhiko was looking forward to that, "Julian, we need to talk."

"Uh-oh. That didn't go well when _I_ said it. But you're right. And I have something to tell you, too. Why don't we go in here?"

Julian opened the door to his office, and they ducked inside. It was just as Ryuhiko left it, books scattered from his search for answers. Julian arranged and rearranged the books and papers restlessly, more to occupy himself than anything else.

"So... um, so. Well, it worked. I met the Hanged Man, got the rest of my memories back, got my cure, and..." He took Ryuhiko's hands in his own. "Listen, uh, just stay calm and listen to me, okay? I found out that— that..." For a long moment, he struggled, unable to get the words out.

"...That you knew me, and I died?"

Julian gave him a wide-eyed look. "Wh... how did...? I was psyching myself up to tell you that, and you already knew?"

"I didn't know. Not until today."

Julian gaped at him, stunned.

"I saw you in the Hanged Man's realm. I couldn't call out to you, I couldn't reach you, but I heard everything."

"Then, that, that means...? Huh. Are you— are you okay?"

"I will be. I just need time to make sense of it." Part of Ryuhiko's mind was still screaming, still refusing to accept it. Insisted that he wasn't even supposed to be there. But someday, sooner or later, he knew he'd be able to handle it. "One day, I'll be fine again."

"I... I want to show you something."

Julian looked over the desk, then pressed a hidden button on its underside. A hidden drawer popped out. He plucked a piece of folded paper from inside and offered it to him. Ryuhiko unfolded it, mindful of the delicate paper. And then he nearly dropped it in shock. It wasn't the doctor's handwriting. It was _his own_. The letter itself was brief, a report about plague victims dated three years ago.

"I found this last time I was here. I thought— Well, I wasn't sure what to think. I wasn't sure if it was a citizen's report, or if we actually knew each other. And then, when the Hanged Man gave me my memories back, I— I finally remembered. Ryuhiko, I'm sorry." He lightly touched Ryuhiko's cheek. "You needed me, and I wasn't there. I failed you. What if...? If something happens again?"

"You can't save everyone." With the sheer number of people who fell afoul of the plague, perhaps it wasn't that surprising Ryuhiko was one of them.

"But you were working at my clinic. You were helping _me_. And I did nothing."

"It was my decision. My choice, for better or worse. Besides, you weren't doing nothing. You were here, working to find a cure. Nobody could blame you for that."

"Nobody but me. But you, you're not blaming me."

"No."

"I can't be responsible for everyone, huh?" Something like wonder dawned on his face, in his voice. But there was a weight in Ryuhiko's chest. An uncomfortable question that he just couldn't dislodge. "What is it, Ryu?"

"Something's bothering me."

"You too, huh? If you really died..."

"Then, how am I alive now?"

"I wish I knew, Ryu. Bringing someone back to life is, well. I can't say impossible, considering _I_ just came back to life, but it's not exactly common, is it?"

A memory flickered in the back of Ryuhiko's mind. Something he heard once. "Everything is possible, as long as you're willing to pay the price."

"Ryuhiko?"

"Asra... Asra told me that." The earliest memory he had was of Asra's face. If anyone would know what happened, it was him.

"Then let's go find him. I think it's time he told us the truth. I'm going to need to get an eyepatch before we leave, though. Don't want anyone thinking I'm contagious. I wonder if the Countess can get me a spare." Then he paused. "Oh, one more thing." He looked around the office for something, but couldn't seem to find it. "Where are those glasses?"

Ryuhiko blinked and pulled them from his bag. "These?"

Julian whipped around. "You have them?" He grabbed the pair of glasses from him and started cleaning them.

"Uh, yeah... They were familiar. I kept meaning to ask and clean them..."

Julian inspected them in the dim light and nodded. "Here we go." He slipped them on Ryuhiko's face and grinned.

Ryuhiko blinked to adjust. "I can see... Oh my god." He looked at the report and then took the glasses off, squinting to try and read. "How did I ever survive without them?" He put them back on. "Work is going to be so much easier now!"

"Look at you. Adorable." He kissed his forehead. "Now, off we go."

It was a relief to leave that dungeon behind them, hopefully for the last time. Ryuhiko steeled himself for the search. He didn't even know where Asra was. But then he caught his scent. There he was.

"Ryuhiko! Ilya, you made it back!" Asra said.

"Asra? We were just about to go looking for you!" Julian said.

"You were looking for me? I was looking for you. We have a problem."


End file.
